Under the procedural guidance of prosecutors from the Odesa Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the defense sector of the Southern region, a former acting head of the Military Academy (Odesa) has been exposed for abusing his official position.

According to the investigation, the suspect ‒ the deputy head of the Military Academy, while temporarily performing the duties of the head, acted intentionally and in the interests of another person, ensuring the illegal accrual of monetary payments to a subordinate serviceman who had been out of service for an extended period.

Despite reliable information about the actual absence of the serviceman, who left the state border of Ukraine in April 2022 and did not return, the suspect instructed his subordinates to include him in the monthly timekeeping records and to carry out all types of financial support ‒ bonuses, allowances, and additional rewards.

To conceal the illegal actions, the official dismissed the serviceman from his previous position and appointed him to another, continuing to ensure the accrual of funds.

As a result of these actions, from April 2022 to July 2024, the serviceman was unjustifiably accrued over 1.1 million hryvnias, causing losses to the state.

The colonel has been notified of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (abuse of office). The court has chosen a preventive measure in the form of personal obligation.

The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by investigators of the Investigative Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Odesa region, with operational support from the UCR in the Odesa region of the National Police of Ukraine.

Note: According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in a lawful manner and established by a court verdict.